July 7, 2008

[Presenter] The Public Health Ministry says those wounded in the [suicide] [attack at the Indian embassy in Kabul this morning], including civilians and military personnel, have been admitted to hospital, and that they want the government of Afghanistan to adopt tight security measures in the capital.

My colleague Ghafor Sabori has more.

[Correspondent] The Public Health Ministry says those wounded in the attack have been admitted to casualty at Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan and Jamhoriat hospitals, and hospitals of the National Security Directorate and Academy of Sciences.

[Sayd Mohammad Amin Fatemi, minister of public health] The 34 people include a limited number of foreign nationals. A number of Indian nationals have lost their lives. Two children and two women are among the martyrs. Three children are also among those wounded.

[Dr Anil, head of healthcare unit, Emergency Hospital, in English with Dari translation superimposed] So far, we have received 30 patients, including three dead bodies and 27 wounded people. A woman is among the killed.

[Dr Abdol Salam, head, Wazir Akbar Khan hospital] We registered nine cases, including four deaths and five cases of injury.

[Correspondent] Those wounded in the attack, currently recovering in hospitals, say the government should seek ways of preventing the death of innocent people in such incidents.

[First man] We leave home in search of a piece of bread, and this is what we face. We request the government to prevent all such incidents.

[Second man] I had gone into a photocopy shop when the incident occurred. When I came out, I noticed that my head was bleeding.

[Correspondent] The Public Health Ministry says 50 wounded people have returned to their homes after recovering, and that more than 10 of those wounded are in a critical condition.